Government of Morocco Hosts pre-COP 22 Session

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC
October 14, 2016

U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Dr. Jonathan Pershing will travel October 16-20 to Marrakesh, Morocco to participate in an informal ‘pre-COP’ meeting hosted by the Government of Morocco. The pre-COP is the last preparatory session in advance of the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also known as COP-22. The Government of Morocco will serve as the Presidency and host of COP-22 in Marrakesh, which will take place on November 7-18, the first such meeting since the historic adoption of the Paris Agreement by all nations at COP-21 in Paris, France, in December of last year.

Last week, the Paris Agreement officially surpassed the thresholds necessary for it to enter into force less than one year after it was adopted, sending a powerful signal to world markets that we are moving towards a low-emissions economy with unprecedented resolve. COP-22, dubbed the “COP of Implementation and Action” by the Government of Morocco, will highlight major climate successes achieved this year and showcase global action as nations turn toward implementation of the Paris Agreement. COP-22 will provide a forum for actors at all levels to come together, share what they are doing, learn from each other and continue to encourage each other to do more.

Next week’s pre-COP meeting offers an opportunity for Special Envoy Pershing and his Ministerial counterparts to finalize preparations for COP-22 and continue to discuss implementation of the Paris Agreement and ongoing actions to advance global climate and clean energy efforts.